Divisions over Germany

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Among Margaret Thatcher’s greatest achievements was to maintain the solidarity of the transatlantic alliance and thereby hasten the peaceful defeat of communism. In this, she was exemplary but not alone. Helmut Kohl, who took office as Chancellor of West Germany in 1982, also faced down strong opposition to the siting of Nato’s intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe.

Yet these two historic conservative leaders had notably cool personal relations and weighty policy disagreements. In an interview with The Times today, Mr Kohl is candid about them. And on a fundamental issue that separated them Mr Kohl had the shrewder judgment. This